I hate asking people for donations.
I always have, ever since my not-so-pleasant experience with my high school National Honor Society. To this day, I have never sold a raffle ticket or cajoled anyone into attending a spaghetti dinner.
So when I pledged to give up my birthday to charity: water at last year’s World Domination Summit, I had a real problem on my hands.
I loved the idea of asking people to help others instead of giving me stuff. And, I loved the idea that charity: water sends 100% of its public donations straight to the field. Best of all, we would be able to see our donations at work through pictures and GPS locators once the wells that we had helped to fund were built.
But how would I support charity: water without asking for donations?
I spend a couple of weeks thinking up all kinds of ways to keep my promise without straight up asking people for a donation. I thought about what I love to do (teach) and how I love to do it (online workshops). I thought about what I could teach, and what would be the most useful at the start of the New Year.
And then it hit me.
What if I hosted a pay-what-you-can online workshop, where all proceeds would go to charity: water? Teaching online workshops is one of my favorite things to do, and the start of 2013 is the perfect time to introduce new people to the world of online marketing.
But then, a second great idea occurred to me.
Instead of theories and suggestions and to-do lists, I wanted people to walk away from my workshop with a finished product. Instead of talking about using Facebook for business, we would actually set up their Facebook page. Instead of knowing why they should have an email list, they would walk away with the email infrastructure already set up, and know how to use it.
In reality, what I wanted would not be merely an online workshop. It would be a hands-on, get-‘er-done series of workshops to give people the tools they need to rock their online marketing.
Enter Online Marketing Boot Camp
So here’s how it works: Online Marketing Boot Camp is a pay-what-you-can, 6-workshop event that takes place online from January 29 – 31, 2013.
The minimum registration amount for the Boot Camp is $10.00, which gives you access to all 6 of the workshops. Best of all, 100% of your registration fees will go to charity: water.
Each of the 6 workshops is a hands-on, step-by-step real-time process where we create the tools you’ll need, and then talk a little about how to use them. Depending on the number of attendees, each workshop will take 1 – 1.5 hours.
Workshop topics include:
- Facebook 101: Create Your Facebook Page
- Quick and Easy Graphic Design with PicMonkey
- Getting Started with Google Analytics
- MailChimp 101: Create Your Email List
- MailChimp 201: Rockin’ Email Forms on Your Website
- How to be Found on Google: Basic Website Strategies
For more details about these workshops, head to Workshop page.
I Need Your Help
While I hate asking for money, I have no problem asking for your help. My goal is to raise $2,013 for charity: water, in honor of my 30th birthday. In order to do that, I’m going to need lots of help from you.
Obviously, the most important is to register for the Online Marketing Boot Camp.
Equally as important, please spread the word about Online Marketing Boot Camp with everyone you know: in person, by email, on social media. You can either share this post using the share buttons to the left, or direct people straight to my Workshop page.
Thank You in Advance
I can’t thank you enough for your help in spreading the word about Online Marketing Boot Camp. It’s a win-win for everyone, especially the folks in Africa who will experience clean, safe water for the first time with our donation to charity: water!
~ Felicity
Photo credit: charity: water
[hana-code-insert name=’Felicity Fields Author Bio’ /]
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Amazing idea Felicity! Love to see how your vision became reality with your bootcamp and how you included giving back as such an important part of the plan! Wishing you much success!
AV
Thanks, Anastasia! I wasn’t sure about it when it first occurred to me, but feedback just like yours has been coming my way, so clearly I’m not the only one into giving back!
Felicity Fields recently posted..Online Marketing Boot Camp: How I’m Giving Up My Birthday to charity: water
Congrats Felicity! I love how you made a declaration to raise money and then allowed inspiration to direct that declaration into a win-win-win for everyone involved – you live up to your commitment contributing in a way you love and authentically expresses yourself, participants benefit from the education at a price they can afford, and you donate to a worthy cause that also benefits immensely – thank you for sharing your inspiration and brilliance!
Sheila recently posted..No Posts Were Found!
Sheila, you hit the nail right on the head. I was going for a win-win for everyone involved. Feels pretty great, I have to say!
Felicity Fields recently posted..Online Marketing Boot Camp: How I’m Giving Up My Birthday to charity: water
Great idea Felicity! I know a bunch of people who could use your help. I will add this to my blog tomorrow and see if we can drum up so donations! ~Cathy
Cathy Sykora recently posted..Rawk Your World (preview)
Oh Cathy, if there were a way to reach through the internet and hug you, I would. 🙂 Thank you for helping to spread the word through your blog!
Felicity Fields recently posted..Online Marketing Boot Camp: How I’m Giving Up My Birthday to charity: water
I’ll help spread the word around your great idea and workshops. A friend of mine did the same charity water for their birthday with great success. I wish you the same.
Thanks, Pam! You are awesome.
You know, the more I talk about this charity: water thing, the more I find stories like yours, where someone they know recently did this (one woman gave up her wedding!)
Makes me wonder how I didn’t know about charity: water until last July. 🙂
Felicity Fields recently posted..Online Marketing Boot Camp: How I’m Giving Up My Birthday to charity: water
What a great idea! You are really giving two times over (or many more times). You are giving to the charity water campaign, but also generously to your audience too! Its a win-win! I’ll be signing up!
Megan Flatt recently posted..This Is Your Year!- Part 1
Can’t wait to see you, Megan! I wanted to make this as awesome for everyone involved as possible. One of the reasons I started my business was to be able to give back as much, and as often, as possible! 🙂
Felicity Fields recently posted..Online Marketing Boot Camp: How I’m Giving Up My Birthday to charity: water